This invention relates generally to a heat exchanger or recuperator and more particularly to a method for inspecting the geometry and dimensional accuracy of the heat exchanger or recuperator.
Many recuperator are of a primary surface construction. In a primary surface recuperator or heat exchanger, a plurality of thin sheets are stacked in a spaced apart configuration to form a cell. The cells are assembled, such as by welding to form a core. Each core has a plurality of ducts connected thereto in a preestablished position or location. The core and ducts are used with an engine and are positioned within a donor flow path. The donor flow path usually has a preestablished configuration and size. Additional ducting of the engine enables recipient flow to pass through the core. The additional ducting also has a preestablished configuration and size. Thus, to physically fit and mesh with the engine ducting configuration the size and shape of the recuperator or heat exchanger must be controlled.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,721 issued on Oct. 29, 1991 to Charles T. Darragh discloses an example of one such recuperator or heat exchanger. The recuperator disclosed in this patent has a circular configuration. The recuperator has the above mention cells made from a plurality of primary surface sheets, a plurality of spacer bars, and a plurality of guide strips. The component parts are welded together to form the recuperator. The welding of the component parts makes it difficult to maintain a preestablished configuration along with a plurality of demanding but necessary tolerances.
Thus, to insure the preestablished configuration and tolerance, a method is needed to insure the configuration and tolerance is maintained. By maintaining the configuration and tolerance of the recuperator or heat exchanger, the fit up and assembly for use with the engine is insured.
In one aspect of the invention a circulator core inspection line is comprising of an inlet end having a supply of the circulator cores to be inspected; a test fixture including a base member, a pair of xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d blocks, an anvil member and a plurality of gages; and an outlet end having an acceptable position and a not acceptable position.
In another aspect of the invention a method of inspecting a geometry and dimensional accuracy of a circular recuperator core is defined. The circular recuperator core defining an axis xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d, a first end and a second end spaced apart a preestablished length, a preestablished inner diameter centered about the axis xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d, a preestablished outside diameter centered about the axis xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d, and said circular recuperator core having a donor inlet duct positioned at said first end the centered about the axis xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d and a donor outlet duct positioned at the second end and centered about the axis xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d. The method of inspecting the geometry and dimensional accuracy of the circular recuperator core comprising the steps of: positioning the second end of the circular recuperator core on a base member; positioning a first gage within the inner diameter; monitoring the preestablished length for dimensional accuracy using a go, no-go configuration of the first gage; positioning an anvil member within the inner diameter of the circular recuperator core; centering the anvil member within the inner diameter and aligning an axis xe2x80x9cSAxe2x80x9d of the anvil member to coincide with the axis xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d of the circular recuperator core; monitoring the position and a concentricity of the donor inlet duct using a go, no-go configuration of a second gage; positioning the anvil member within a pair of xe2x80x9cVxe2x80x9d blocks; monitoring the position and a concentricity of the donor outlet duct using a go, no-go configuration of a third gage; and monitoring the preestablished outside diameter for dimensional accuracy using a go, no-go configuration of a fourth gage.